Sunday, November 28, 2010

Honey Yeast Rolls

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So I can’t believe I haven’t blogged these before. I made them last year a couple of times and really thought that I had blogged them. But when I went to make my grocery list for Thanksgiving I tried to pull up the recipe to see if I needed anything and discovered that it wasn’t there.

So I went back to the original source of these insanely easy and delicious rolls, Annie’s Eats, to make my list but vowed that they would be blogged this time. They are just way too good not to be posted all over the Internet. And as proof of this fact I admit that I did not get a single picture of a roll out of the pan – they didn’t last that long! There were a few left when we were finished with our meal but they were quickly grabbed and thrown into bags because everyone wanted one for later! Plus, my mom loved these so much that she raved about “the delicious rolls Kayla made” to both of my aunts when they talked on the phone. Now that’s a sign of a good roll!

But my favorite thing about these rolls is how easy they are. They were one of the first (and still only really) yeast recipes that I’ve tried. Even last week when I made them I still got nervous when I mixed them up – but it was totally stupid because they rose so well right away. I’m pretty sure there is no way to mess these up.

And another great thing about these is that you can stop them mid-process and freeze them and they are just as delicious as when you go from start to finish.

Definitely go check out Annie’s blog for more gorgeous pictures of these rolls (and all her other amazing looking food!). And then try them, you’ll be glad you did.

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Honey Yeast Rolls From Annie’s Eats

Ingredients:
2¼ Teaspoon Instant Yeast
1 Cup Water (105-115 degrees F)
¼ Cup Honey
3 Tablespoons Oil (Canola or Vegetable)
1¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 Egg, beaten lightly
4 Cups bread Flour
Vegetable No-stick Spray
2 Tablespoons Melted Butter 2 Tablespoons Honey

In a mixer combine yeast and water. Then add honey, oil, egg, and salt. Mix well.

Add 3 cups of the bread flour and mix until it comes together – it will be very sticky. Switch from the paddle to the dough hook for your mixer. On low speed slowly add the last cup of bread flour. Mix until it is completely mixed in. Continue mixing for around 8 minutes or until the dough is a smooth ball that is elastic in consistency if pulled.

Spray a large bowl with the no-stick spray. Place the ball of dough into the bowl, turn it around until covered with the spray, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm spot and allow to rise for 2 hours or until it is double its original size.

Place the dough on a floured surface and knead for 30 seconds. Cover with a towel for 10 minutes and then punch the dough down. Shape into balls and place into a lightly greased pan (I use a 9x13). I get about 15 rolls, but I think it depends on the size you want them.*

Cover and let rise again for 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Mix together the melted butter and 2 tablespoons of honey. Cover the rolls with the honey and butter mixture. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

*This is where I’ve stopped the process to either freeze these or even just keep them overnight. To freeze them cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in freezer – the day before you are ready to make them place the pan in the fridge. To stop them overnight cover tightly and place in fridge. On the day you want to make these (whether you froze them or just placed in the fridge) take them out about an hour and a half before you want to bake them to allow them to come to temperature and have their final rise. Then bake per the directions.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Deviled Eggs

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With Thanksgiving coming up next week it seemed like the perfect time to finally blog these eggs. Deviled eggs were always a staple on the holiday table in my house growing up, but lately I’ve taken over the making of the eggs. But these eggs are different from the ones I ate growing up. If you’ve seen my egg salad recipe then this recipe will be very familiar. When I make the deviled eggs I use my mother-in-law’s recipe. These eggs are more of a sweet taste while my mom’s are a tangy, mustardy flavor. My hope is to get my mom to write down her recipe for me again so I can blog it too. It shouldn’t be a problem because we pretty much rotate deviled eggs at my parent’s house – one time I’ll make these and the next mom will make the tangy eggs. So hopefully around Christmas I can get the other recipe too.

Just like the egg salad this is really just a list of ingredients – there really isn’t any measurements here. These eggs are totally dependent on how many eggs you are making and your tastes. The Miracle Whip and mayo really just add to the consistency of your filling – adding more will make your filling more creamy but doesn’t really do much for the taste. Adding more sugar, French dressing, or pepper changes the taste. The important thing to remember is that you can always add more of an ingredient but you can’t take it away if you put in too much – so start small and add on.

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Deviled Eggs From My mother-in-law

Ingredients
Eggs
Mayo
Miracle Whip
French Dressing
Pepper Sugar

Place your desired number of eggs into a pot, cover with water and place over medium-high heat for 20 minutes.*

Once eggs are done drain the water, cover with cold water, and peel the shells off. Place the eggs in the fridge for 15-20 minutes, or until cooled.

Cut your eggs in half and scoop out the yolk, place it in a bowl. To the bowl add mayo and Miracle Whip until you have reached the consistency that you like (I start with a tablespoon of each and then go from there).

Once you are happy with the consistency add the dressing (I usually start with a teaspoon), the sugar (I start with 1/2 a teaspoon), and pepper (I start with a small dash and go from there). Slowly add more of each until you are happy with the result – keeping the amounts you are adding small so you don’t add too much.

Fill your egg whites with the filling – you can spoon it in or pipe it in from a plastic bag with the tip cut off (or you could use a bag and tip like you would for frosting).

Chill for at least 30 minutes (over night is best) then serve.

*If you have another way that you like to boil your eggs then use it. The goal is just to have some hardboiled eggs.